A leading ex-family judge 'died by his own hand' in Sevenoaks after being diagnosed with a rare form of dementia, his family said.

Tributes have been paid to Sir Nicholas Wall, 71, a former president of the Family Division who leaves behind his wife Margaret, four children and two grandchildren following his death.

A notice published in the Times said Sir Nicholas had endured 'years of suffering' before it was revealed he had the devastating neurological condition in his fronto-temporal lobe.

A statement from family said: "We are sad to confirm the death of Sir Nicholas Wall, who was not only a highly-respected former President of the Family Division but also a much-loved husband, father and grandfather."

Sir Nicholas was at one point Britain's most senior family law judge.He was called to the Bar in 1969, appointed Queen's Council in 1988.

In 2004 he was promoted to the Court of Appeal and in 2010 became President of the High Court Family Division. He was forced to retire on health grounds in 2012.

In 2011, Sir Nicholas told the Times a love protecting "live-in lovers" would could protect women in long-standing relationships from being left destitute after a breakup with their partners.

He later suggested couples seeking a divorce should not have to blame each other, arguing in favour of a settlement with no faults recorded on either side.

The Family Law Bar Association (FLBA) paid tribute to a compassionate judge who cared deeply bout the outcome of his cases.

"We send our sincere condolences to Sir Nicholas’ widow and family and to his many friends at this sad time," they said.

Family have asked for donations to be made to the Dementia Research Centre in Queen Square, London.

A police spokesman said: "At 2.15am on Friday 17 February 2017 Kent Police received a report stating that a 71-year-old man had died suddenly at an address in Sevenoaks.

"There are no suspicious circumstances and officers are preparing a report for the coroner."

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